Celestia Shrugged, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying
by MajorTomLives
Summary: ...and Love The Rainbow Dash. Filthy Rich has commissioned a new railroad to be built from Ponyville to Canterlot, the fastest in the world. But the plans call for the demolition of the Sweet Apple Acres Farmhouse. Can Applejack stop the wheels of progress? Even with the help of Rainbow Dash? Appledash.
1. Prologue - Rich Labs Limited

Prologue - **Rich Labs Limited**

* * *

Situated in the warehouse district of Manehattan, Rich Labs Limited had always been considered one of the forefront research and development sectors in Equestria. Founded by a grant left in the will of Stinkin' Rich, one of the founding fathers of Ponyville, it continued to take magic and technology further than had ever been conceived before. While research exclusively relating to magic continued to be a study held in the privacy of castle towers and libraries, heavy Equestrian industry relied on Rich Labs Limited to supply them with extremely strong and agile metals, fire resistant wood, and other impossibilities.

Filthy Rich, the current descendant of Stinkin' Rich who controlled the empire, had been called down to Manehattan from his Ponyville home for his annual tour of the facility. He had been reluctant at first, considering he was neck deep in the planning of yet another ball for his daughter, but had been convinced to attend after being told that they had made a breakthrough that would 'change Equestrian transportation forever.' Being generally a skeptical stallion, he resolved that he would be the judge of that.

As Filthy Rich arrived at the facility, he was greeted by the head of research, Dr. Rearden. "Welcome to Rich Labs, Fil- I mean, Mr. Rich," he addressed his guest cautiously. Being a unicorn of science, he wasn't as adept as social interaction as some other ponies. "If you would come this way." Rearden made a motion for Filthy Rich to follow him, and the two travelled through the various offices and laboratories of the facility.

"How was the train, Mr. Rich?" Rearden asked conversationally. Filthy Rich snorted.

"It was fine, I suppose. Service isn't quite the best, but what else can one do," he replied. Rearden laughed and grinned.

"Precisely. Equestrian rail service is woefully insufficient for the needs of distinguished ponies such as yourself. Which is why..."

Rearden and Filthy Rich had reached the end of the hallway, which ended with doors marked "Top Secret, Authorized Unicorns Only." Rearden threw open the doors and held out his hoof for Filthy Rich to enter.

"...we present to you the future of Equestria's railroad."

Inside, several unicorns stood around a train in the center of the room. Besides the engine, there were three carriages for passengers, and one in the back for luggage, mail, or other packages. Unlike the trains currently used across the nation of ponies, it didn't appear to run on coal or wood. The sleek, elegant appearance of the train drew Filthy Rich's eye, and he couldn't help but admire the logo of his company prominently placed on the front of the cab.

"You certainly have my attention, Dr. Rearden," Filthy Rich managed to say after a moment of shocked silence. Rearden puffed up his chest and smiled, internally releasing a sigh of relief that his work had not been dismissed unceremoniously.

"These trains need to be operated by unicorns, but when supplied with enough magic..." Dr. Rearden gave a nod of his head to two unicorns in labcoats next to the train. Bowing their heads, their horns fired purple beams of magic directly at the train. Instantly, the lights inside the cab and passenger cars clicked on, and the engine began to purr softly. Rearden turned back to Filthy Rich, "...the train can operate at speeds in excess of three hundred miles per hour. Canterlot to Manehattan service in forty five minutes." Rearden nodded again, and the unicorns stopped supplying magic to the train, allowing it to power down.

"Impressive work, doctor. How soon until we can have these running across Equestria?"

Rearden turned again away from Filthy Rich. "Dagny, bring over the reports, will you?"

Another unicorn in a labcoat walked over, using her magic to levitate a clipboard in front of her. "Here you go, Dr. Rearden," she said as she passed the clipboard to her superior. He looked over a few pages before looking back to Filthy Rich.

"The current problem is these trains would derail on the current tracks placed throughout Equestria. They were laid by the ponies your ancestor hired years ago, and were never designed to handle speeds in excess of sixty miles per hour."

"Well, that's easy to fix," Filthy Rich mused, "We just rip up the old line and relay them. I understand you're supervising the pouring of a new magical alloy of metal, Dr. Reardon, that would be able to handle these kinds of speeds." Dr. Rearden bowed his head sheepishly.

"Well, yes, sir... But there's more to it than that. Not only are the old rails too dangerous to run trains this fast on, the lines themselves are considered royal property. You'd have to appeal to Princess Celestia in order to even touch the current railroad lines."

Filthy Rich's face twisted into a frown. Stinkin' Rich had always had a way with words, talking himself and others into whatever he wanted, but the modern Canterlot planning commissions had a way of complicating matters like this in the present day. It wasn't quite as easy to get anything done anymore, unless you had the blessing of the Princess.

"What if..." Filthy Rich began, unsure of whether what he was thinking would actually be possible, "we built our own railroad line? If we used new track, and built it in such a way to take advantage of your new train, would we be able to run a competing railroad against the royal line?"

Reardon smiled. "We were hoping you would say that, sir. We drew up a few plans."

He flipped over a page on the clipboard to a map of Equestria. Several lines had been drawn across the map, identifying current railroad lines and the proposed ones. "We assumed that it would be too expensive to build the entire network at once, even for you. So we figured it would be best to start with a place that'll prove profitable, but won't be a challenge to get the rights to the land. The route we chose was the Ponyville-Canterlot corridor."

Filthy Rich carefully paged through the report, reading specs on the train and on the proposed route through Ponyville. In order to avoid sharp turns and having to bore tunnels into cliff faces, the route suggested running track through the farms and fields and building a bridge to Canterlot, as opposed to the current route which favored the mountain. The only people who would need to approve construction would be the Ponyville mayor, the owners of the one major area farm, and the Canterlot Station manager, who would supervise the construction of a new platform in the city.

"I think this is doable, doctor. Tell whoever drew up these plans that they're promoted to project manager for the Rich Railroad, and to begin work on gaining right-of-way immediately." Filthy Rich handed the clipboard back to Reardon, and walked out of the lab.

"Yes sir," Reardon said to no one in particular, then turned back to Dagny. "Looks like you just got a promotion, doctor. Congratulations."

* * *

**Celestia Shrugged, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Rainbow Dash**


	2. Chapter 1 - Wonders of the Future

Chapter 1 – **Wonders of the Future**

* * *

Applejack hadn't been particularly thrilled when it was announced that Ponyville had been chosen as the host of the Equestrian Technology Expo. She had first heard about it from Twilight Sparkle, who excitedly attempted to invite her more down-to-earth friend. "It's just a buncha hucksters showin' off a buncha stuff I don't need, and I don't see why everypony's all up in a tizzy about it," Applejack had replied, shrugging it off. As much as Twilight Sparkle had tried to convince her otherwise, arguing about the importance of science and the wonders of technology, she saw no reason to attend.

Pinkie Pie had been the next to try, on the day the expo was due to open. Mayor Mare had appointed her in charge of the Expo Party Commission, so she had spent the better part of the week enticing everypony to attend. "There's going to be music and dancing and cupcakes and cake and punch and balloons and streamers and AAAAAALL kinds of other party things! You just gotta come! You gotta, gotta, gotta!" She had left Sweet Apple Acres disappointed, as Applejack turned her down as well.

After bucking a barrel's full of apples out of one of her family's many apple trees, she looked out toward the town of Ponyville. Various booths and banners were being propped up across the town in preparation for the expo. Feh, technology... What good was technology when it came to the farm? She had seen enough when the Flim-Flam Brothers had stormed into town with their cider machine, claiming that there was no need for her family anymore. Her muscles tensed at the thought, which raised the question in her mind: did she really hate technology, or did she hate the idea that her and her family were too old fashioned to enjoy it?

She didn't have much time to ponder on the question, as the sound of Rainbow Dash blasting over the farm caught her attention. The wind came down from the sky in a blast, redirected from the force of the gutsy pegasus' flight, and it brought a smile to her face. There were times during her long hours of working with apple trees where she wondered what it must be like to fly, how it would feel have the wind against her body constantly...

The thought was interrupted by Rainbow Dash's abrupt landing next to her. "Hey Applejack!"

"What's up, sugarcube?" Applejack replied, turning to face her friend. As usual, her rainbow mane had been windblasted back, but Rainbow Dash wouldn't have it any other way. Dash flashed her a cocky smirk, as if to flaunt the flying skills that she knew everyone had already seen a hundred times over.

"You coming to the expo?" Applejack's heart fell a bit. For some reason, of all her friends, Rainbow Dash was the hardest to say no to. She had hoped that Rainbow wouldn't have bothered to ask her, that she would have known her enough to know it would be outside of her interests. But then again, there was no one more stubborn than Rainbow Dash.

"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash, I'm just not interested." She took the handle of the bucket into her mouth and began to walk toward the farmhouse.

"Aw c'mon! Why not!"

Applejack placed the bucket of apples down in front of her momentarily in order to reply. "I just don't see what all the fuss about this expo is. Technology isn't exactly somethin' we use a lot here at Sweet Apple Acres, ya know."

Applejack had picked up the apples again and began to walk back toward the farmhouse, but Rainbow Dash ran ahead of her to cut her off. "But come on! You have no idea what cool stuff they have there! They're making everything faster! Less time to work, more time to play! Even you can understand that!"

This time, Applejack didn't bother to set down the bucket. As clearly as she could through her teeth, she replied, "Dash, I like to work. And just 'cause you're gettin' it done faster don't mean you're gettin' it done right."

She walked past Rainbow Dash and placed the bucket down with the rest of the apples collected that day. Rainbow Dash sighed, her head falling slightly. "I guess... I was just excited to hang out with you there. Haven't been seeing a lot of you lately. I knew this really wasn't your thing... but I thought... Never mind."

Applejack stopped and turned to her friend, flipping her blonde mane out of her eyes. It was true, the summer picking season was in full swing, and the entire Apple family had been hard at work. Applejack hadn't complained, she enjoyed her work. She hadn't noticed she had been seeing her friends significantly less often, and wasn't surprised that Dash was the first to notice.

"Have I really been working that hard?" Applejack asked, more to herself than anyone else. But that didn't stop Rainbow Dash from answering anyway.

"You work way harder than anyone I know, Applebrain. Lighten up!" she joked. Applejack laughed.

"Oh..." Applejack began, then sighed. "I suppose you're right, Dash. I'll come with ya to the expo. But don't make a big deal outta this, now."

* * *

It was later in the evening when the expo actually kicked off. Rainbow Dash had dragged Applejack to the center of the crowd that was facing the Ponyville Town Square. The Expo Commissioner, a distinguished stallion with a roguish grin, had just taken center stage and addressed the crowd. "Good evening, Ponyville!" he announced to the sound of applause. "By the courtesy of Rich Industries, I'm here tonight with a collection of the brightest mares and stallions in Equestria! So take a load off, enjoy the exhibits, and continue to marvel at the future, tonight!"

The Commissioner stepped off the stage to greet a mare with a red mane as the crowd turned toward the exhibits that had been set up. Between tents, local Ponyville vendor sold various refreshments and souvenirs, all branded with the Rich logo. In front of them, a unicorn in a lab coat escorted a metal pony, animated by magic, through the crowd. This, for some reason, was being watched closely by Derpy Hooves, who appeared quite distrustful of the Robo-Pony. Applejack turned to Rainbow Dash.

"Lead the way, sugarcube. What do ya want to see?" she asked, as Rainbow Dash's attention was torn between several booths.

"I can't decide whether I wanna see the Lightworks or Space Lens. Oooh, cloud mining!" Rainbow Dash took off toward a booth decorated with clouds. Applejack could only laugh for a moment, as she soon found herself running after Dash. She hadn't anticipated running straight into Pinkie Pie, however. By the time she had corrected herself, she noticed she had knocked her friend down onto the ground. But before she could even apologize, the party pony was back on her feet and grinning.

"Oh boy, Applejack! That was a surprise! And so are you! I'm so glad you're here, the after party is going to be fantastic tonight! I heard that a bunch of big wigs are going to be there, so I came prepared," Pinkie spun around in a blink of an eye, and the next thing Applejack knew, the pink pony in front of her was sporting an enormous round wig. "Perfect, right?"

"I don't know, Pinkie Pie, I'm not sure that's what they mean by 'big wig'"

Pinkie Pie looked confused. "Well, what ELSE could they mean?"

Applejack noticed a flash of rainbow light behind Pinkie, which could only mean that Rainbow Dash's interest in cloud mining had waned, and she had taken off for another booth.

"I'm sorry, Pinkie Pie, I'll explain later," she replied apologetically, as she took off looking for Rainbow Dash.

"In the mean time," Pinkie Pie added, "I'll be showing off how much of a big wig I am in Ponyville."

Applejack found Rainbow Dash staring into a booth with the Rich logo all over it. She peered inside and a film being projected onto a screen inside. Not much of a sideshow exhibit in her mind, but Dash was in complete awe of it.

"Now what in tarnation is so excitin' about this?" Applejack asked, confused. The film showed images of Equestrian landscape, highlighting the vast emptiness of the continent.

"Just watch," Dash replied, motioning to the screen. A narrator began to speak over the projected landscapes.

"Equestria. An enormous place, linked by only one national railroad. In this day and age, Rich Industries begs the question 'Is this really necessary? Is there not a better way?' And we answer, with this."

The filmed landscape fades into a glamour shot of a fancy new train, coated in reflective steel and sleek in design. Rainbow Dash's eyes widen. "The new Rich Railroad, and the Rich TRX. A bold new paradigm for rail travel in Equestria. The power to travel from Canterlot to Manehattan in forty-five minutes, from Phillydelphia to Ponyville in thirty. Next year, take the Rich TRX on the maiden line from Ponyville to Canterlot and see for yourself. The future of Equestria is accelerating. The future... is Rich."

The film ended, leaving both Rainbow Dash and Applejack in awe. In all her life, Applejack had never dreamed that a train would be able to travel such distances that quickly. It would be as if the trains were flying across the landscape...

"That is SO cool!" Rainbow Dash cheered, turning her attention to the maps and promotional posters hung along the sides of the tent. "And they'll be operating between Ponyville and Canterlot next year! We could all take the first train! Wouldn't that be exciting?"

"I have to admit, it would be rather neat to see," Applejack mused, turning to watch Dash's excitement. "But why would you care anyways? Wouldn't ya rather fly?"

"Don't be silly, I'm built for speed, not long distance flight," Dash shrugged off Applejack's taunt, still geeking out.

"Well now, don't get too excited, there's still a year to wait."

Applejack had been surprised by how much she was actually enjoying herself at the expo. While she tried to convince herself it was the energetic company, part of her had always enjoyed understanding how things went together and worked as a whole. Living in the more rural area of Ponyville, a town not especially known for technological innovation, she hadn't had as much of an opportunity to explore science as Twilight Sparkle. But now, surrounded by ponies showing off the latest advances in cloud terraforming, parasprite wrangling, and even simple metallurgy, she was starting to see the appeal. '_I could learn to like this,_' she thought.

The crowd had once again begun to gather in the center of town as the Expo Commissioner stepped back onto the stage, followed by a unicorn Applejack didn't recognize. Her business dress and tightly combed mane gave her a no-nonsense look about her, and she peered down at the citizens of Ponyville over her rectangular glasses. Magically levitating next to her was a clipboard with a few, text dense sheets of paper.

"Ponies, one and all," the Commissioner began, his smooth voice silencing the crowd in an instant, "I'd like to introduce to you, direct from Rich Industries, Dagny Ironhorse! Ms. Ironhorse is the project manager for the new Rich Railroad project, which will connect Ponyville and Canterlot with a brand new high speed train route!"

He allowed the crowd to cheer at this news, turning with a smile to Dagny. She continued to watch the crowd with a calculating gaze. It made Applejack shiver.

"Now, the first step to building this historic rail line is the approval of the mayor of Ponyville. And here she is, Mayor Mare!"

Mayor Mare, grinning from ear to ear, took the stage next to the Expo Commissioner. Excitedly, she took a quill from the outstretched hoof of Dagny, and signed the pages on the floating clipboard. Once finished, she turned back to the crowd and smiled even wider. "Congratulations!" the Commissioner cheered, riling up the crowd once again. "You've just taken the first step to bringing Ponyville into the future!"

Applejack turned to Rainbow Dash in time to see her whistle out in appreciation. She smirked at the sight of her friend's over exuberance over something as trivial as a railroad. Noticing her gaze, Dash returned it.

"Whatcha looking at, Applejack?" she joked, sticking out her tongue. Slightly flustered, Applejack immediately turned away and replied "Nothing, nothing at all."

* * *

I'm having fun with this one! I guess we'll see where it goes over time. I'm pretty new to writing for ponies so let me know if I'm doing something horrifically wrong. I'm not used to writing for fandoms where there are such a volume of readers!


	3. Chapter 2 - Just One Minor Detail

Chapter 2 – **Just One Minor Detail**

* * *

A week had passed since the Equestrian Technology Expo had ended, and the face of Ponyville had already begun to change. Some of the businesses that had come to the small community to present had been caught unaware by the news of the new railroad, and immediately made plans to open branch offices and stores in the community. Housing speculators also began to scout areas in town to build new residences. Quickly following new jobs come new ponies, and so they wanted to be ready, especially considering land was already becoming expensive near the new Rich Terminal Station site.

The rail construction, according to project manager Dagny, would be the easiest part of the process. With Ponyville signed off on construction, there were only two signatures needed left in order to begin laying the track: the Canterlot station manager, and the owner of Sweet Apple Acres. She didn't anticipate much trouble from either, Filthy Rich was already in Canterlot to finalize the deal on the far end of things, and the company had set aside a considerable sum of money to compensate the Apple family for the necessary changes to their property.

Dagny, in her temporary office (graciously donated space in Ponyville City Hall), once again reviewed the proposal for the Apple family. Two separate timelines had been drawn up, a week apart in their ambitions. If on her first visit to Sweet Apple Acres, the family immediately agreed to the deal and signed on the spot, construction surveying could begin as early as the following day, with rail laid within the month. If the Apple family had reservations, she allotted a week for them to reconsider before she would have to revise her plans.

In all of her life, Dagny Ironhorse had never revised her plans.

* * *

Having just stepped out of the farmhouse after breakfast, Applejack watched as Apple Bloom and the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders took off toward their clubhouse in the far corner of the Sweet Apple Acres farm. Long after they ran out of her sight, she could still hear their shrieks of laughter as they playfully boasted about who would get their cutie marks first. Smiling, she turned to continue onto the well and begin her chores for the day.

Just beyond the gate of Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack could see a pony approaching from the distance. At first, she didn't recognize her at all, but as she drew closer, she began to recognize her from her distingished outfit and her glasses, something distinctly out of place in Ponyville. It was the pony from the Expo, the one working for the railroad.

"Well, howdy stranger!" Applejack greeted her guest once she was within conversational distance. She smiled politely, but received none back. The pony didn't even look Applejack in the eyes, she was busy looking around at the various landmarks of Sweet Apple Acres instead.

"Good morning," the pony replied. "My name is Dagny Ironhorse, and-"

"Oh, I remember ya from the Expo last night, Ms. Ironhorse," Applejack interrupted, extending her hoof with the expectation of a hoofshake. Dagny looked at her outstretched hoof curiously for a moment before returning her gaze on the farm. Applejack chuckled nervously, not sure what to expect from Dagny and attempting to avoid feelings of offense. '_That's just how all Manehattaners are, you remember that, Applejack_...' she told herself, although she was having a hard time believing it.

"Are you the title holder for this farm?" Dagny asked, beginning to walk toward the farmhouse. Applejack followed, shaking her head.

"No, ma'am. That'd be my Granny, she's owned Sweet Apple Acres for as long as I can remember."

"Would I be able to have a word with her, Miss..." Dagny trailed off expectantly.

"Applejack, ma'am. And I ain't sure that's a good idea, Granny's a bit under the weather today. My brother Big Mac would be happy to speak with ya though!" A few months back, Big Mac had stressed concern that wiley salesponies might begin to try and take advantage of Granny Smith because of her old age. He and Applejack made an agreement that if anypony they didn't know wanted to speak to Granny Smith, they would make sure that they spoke to Big Mac first. And Applejack, though she tried to be as honest as possible, agreed that in these cases lying was the best for all involved.

"Fine, that works," Dagny agreed reluctantly.

Applejack turned her head and called back into the farmhouse. "Hey Big Mac! Got a visitor here for ya!" Not long afterwards, Big Mac poked his head out of the door frame, looking down at his sister and their visitor.

"Big Mac, is it?" Dagny asked. Applejack couldn't put her finger on it, but she was starting to wonder if Dagny was looking down on her farm. From the way she answered her questions, to the looks she kept shooting to the orchard and the farmhouse, she was beginning to feel uneasy.

"A-yup," Big Mac replied, stepping outside. He shot Applejack a quick look, as if to confirm that he too wasn't exactly thrilled by their visitor's presence.

"I'm Dagny Ironhorse, with the railroad," Dagny introduced herself again, impatiently. Big Mac nodded in understanding. "Would I be able to have a word with you about Sweet Apple Acres?"

Big Mac looked down at his hooves for a moment, and then nodded. Dagny motioned for him to follow her, and he began to comply. Applejack immediately rushed to her brother's side.

"I don't like the sound of this," Applejack muttered just loud enough for Big Mac to hear. Again, he nodded. "Try an' get her out of here as soon as possible, ya hear?"

"A-yup," Big Mac agreed quietly, before picking up his stride to keep pace with Dagny. Applejack stopped, watching the two of them walk down a path toward the barn. She took a deep breath, and let it out again slowly. She couldn't understand it, but for some reason, she felt exhausted just from being around that pony. '_I can't put my hoof on it... Oh. Ohh.' _Suddenly it began to make sense in her mind. '_They're probably building that dumb railroad through our farm... just wonderful..._' For a moment she hoped that Big Mac would tell her off, but there probably was nothing either of them could do at this point. The railroad would be built, and the Apple family would just have to adapt. Simple as that.

Shaking the thought out of her head for the time being, she resumed working on chores, hoping that Ms. Ironhorse would leave her farm as soon as possible.

* * *

It was more than an hour before Applejack saw Big Mac again. After replenishing the farmhouse's supply of water from the well, she saw him sauntering back toward the house. She immediately ran over to him, but her pace slowed as she saw the look on his face. As long as she remembered, Applejack had never seen Big Mac look like that before... he looked crushed.

"Big Mac?" she asked cautiously, hoping that he too was worn out just from the presense of Dagny. Big Mac slowly raised his head and looked Applejack directly in the eyes. She gasped lightly when she realized that her brother had been crying. "What's wrong?" He said nothing. Applejack took a deep breath. "They're gonna build that railroad through our farm, huh?" Big Mac nodded. Applejack let out a breath of air, blowing it up at her mane. "Well, I figured that's why she'd be here. She didn't have to be so darn rude about it, though."

Applejack shook her head. "Ah, well, we'll worry about it tomorrow. C'mon, Big Mac, still a lot of work to be done." Applejack began to walk back into the farmhouse, but stopped as soon as she realized her brother wasn't following her. She turned around to look at him, and saw that he hadn't moved a muscle from where he was standing a moment ago. "C'mon, now," she repeated. He didn't budge.

"Big Mac," she began to walk back toward her brother, attempting to sound as empathetic as possible, "I don't like this any more than you. But it's not the end of the world, is it?"

Big Mac swallowed, lowered his head again, then sighed. "They're building the railroad through our farmhouse," he said softly, kicking a pebble half-heartedly. "They'll pay to build a new one if we agree. They gave us a week to decide."

Applejack scoffed angrily, her knee-jerk response to being offended. It would have been one thing for Dagny to ask the Apple family to allow the railroad to tear down some of their trees in order to build the line through their property, but this was something else entirely. The Apple family farmhouse? The place she was born? Raised? That had been in their family for generations? The mere audacity of such an idea was enough to make her blood boil. For a moment, Applejack couldn't even formulate words to respond to what Big Mac had told her. Eventually, she spat out "Who the buck does that pony think she is? We don't need a week to decide, the answer's no! If she thinks for one minute we're gonna let them build some stupid railroad through our homestead, she's gotta 'nother thing comin'."


	4. Chapter 3 - Dependable As The Mail

Chapter 3 - **Dependable As The Mail**

* * *

"What do ya mean there's nothin' you can do?"

Mayor Mare was taken aback, Applejack had nearly shouted at her from the other side of her desk. While normally she would feel some remorse, the fact that the city of Ponyville could do nothing to stop the railroad from destroying her homestead enraged the young pony.

"I-I'm sorry, Applejack, but the city has already signed off on the Rich Railroad plans. If we backed out now, there could be a legal challenge against the city..."

"An' why didn't you see whether Sweet Apple Acres was okay with these plans before ya went off and signed off on them? Because ya knew we'd say no?" Applejack narrowed her eyes at the mayor, who shook her head sadly.

"I signed..." The mayor stopped, and allowed herself to sigh sadly. Applejack's anger began to subside as she saw just how sorry Mayor Mare was. "I signed the papers at the Expo, remember? No one told me that your farmhouse... I mean, we were all caught up in the excitement... I'm sorry, Applejack. There's absolutely nothing I can do from here to help."

Applejack's head sunk, and she turned to walk out of the office. "Mayor, I'm sorry I got so riled up, I know it's not your fault. It's just... hard for me. Hard for my family. Thank you for your time," she added as she walked out the office door. Still sitting in her desk, the mayor pressed a button on her desk, activating the two way radio between her and her secretary outside.

"Could you come in here, please? I'd like to take a letter."

* * *

Dagny, across the hall from the mayor's office, watched as Applejack slowly walked out of city hall. While she hadn't anticipated there to be any complaints from Sweet Apple Acres, she was still confident that a week would be more than enough time for the Apple family to come to their senses. No matter what lengths she had to go to in order to get them to see things her way.

Shortly after, a confused-looking mailpony arrived in her office. "Is this the office of Daaaagneighhhhh I-iiiiiii..." As the pony struggled to read the handwriting on the letter, Dagny rolled her eyes.

"Yes, it is," she interrupted, taking the letter from the mailpony.

"Oh good, I was worried I was in the wrong place, that seems to happen to me a lot."

Dagny peered over her glasses at the mailpony, noting her cross eyed stare and her goofy smile. "You don't say?" she replied dryly. The mailpony replied by nodding and grinning. Just as she was about to dismiss the silly mailpony, Dagny had a stroke of inspiration.

"What's your name, mailpony?" She asked, her tone shifting from insulting to sweet at the drop of a hat. The pony immediately retreated to her hind legs and stood up straight in a salute, all the while sporting her grin.

"Derpy Hooves, at your service, ma'am!" Dagny repressed a snort. '_Fitting name_.'

"Derpy, how well do you know the Apple family?"

"I know they make good cider."

"How well do you know a pony named Applejack?"

"I know she likes apples."

Dagny felt her teeth gnashing, but she continued to speak calmly to the mailpony. "Do you happen to know if Applejack has any friends?"

Derpy rolled her eyes. "Of COURSE Applejack has friends," she replied, "She's one of the most popular ponies in Ponyville! Jeez!"

If Dagny didn't know better, she would have sworn that her head exploded as soon as Derpy's eyes rolled at her question. The idea of a pony like that talking back to someone of her stature... In years past, Dagny likely would have kicked Derpy out of her office at the first sign of sarcasm. Literally. But after years of working in the bowels of Rich Labs Limited, she wasn't about to let her first chance to re-enter the corporate world slip away from her because of this... Derpy.

"I wonder..." she began slowly, taking in a deep breath through her snout to avoid sounding distressed, "if you would be able to find out more about Applejack for me. If you could bring me information on some of Applejack's best friends, I would be able to reward you."

"I could do that!" Derpy replied enthusiastically. Dagny smiled.

"Just name your price."

"Muffins."

Dagny's mouth fell open in astonishment for a moment before twisting back into a smile. She had almost hoped for an unreasonable demand, something challenging. "Very well, Miss Hooves. If you help me learn all about Applejack's best friends, I will give you all the muffins you could ever eat."

Derpy didn't waste any time, taking off out of Dagny's office as soon as she finished talking. Dagny chuckled to herself as she opened the letter that had been brought to her, still in disbelief of her luck.

The letter had come from Filthy Rich, directly from his private suite in Canterlot.

_Dagny,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. By now, both terminal ends of the line have been secured, and we're just waiting on Sweet Apple Acres. Undoubtedly, they told you no. As long as you have been following our plans, this is perfectly alright. I shall be back in Ponyville by the time a week has passed, and I will visit Sweet Apple Acres to speak with Granny Smith at that time. The Rich and Apple families have a long history, and I'm sure that if anyone could convince the Apple's to move, it would be myself._

_If the Apple family still does not wish to be a part of the railroad plans, we shall revise our route and find an alternative that works for all parties involved. I have no interest in jeopardizing my good relationship with the Apples (not to mention my supply of Zap Apples) in the name of a small section of this rail route._

_Keep monitoring the construction of the Rich Terminal in Ponyville, and I shall check up on the progress when I am in town._

_Sincerely,_

_Filthy Rich_

For a moment, Dagny felt a tinge of offense. '_You assigned me a task you knew that I would fail?_' Some promotion indeed. Undeterred, Dagny filed the letter in her correspondence drawer, and began to prepare a stack of new contracts. '_You'll be quite surprised just how willing the Apple family will be when you arrive, Mr. Rich,_' she thought, suppressing a laugh.

* * *

As she made her way back to Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack attempted to collect her thoughts on the situation. What else could be done if the city couldn't stop it? Maybe writing to Princess Celestia... but the Princess probably had bigger things to worry about, not to mention there's no way that she would be out of the loop on a project as big as this. '_Maybe Twilight will have an idea..._' she thought as she drew closer to the library.

She watched as the Cutie Mark Crusaders ran out of one store and immediately into another, undoubtedly trying to see whether their talents were in various forms of sales. Applejack and Big Mac had decided not to tell Apple Bloom about the impending destruction of her home, fearing that she would take it harder than the two of them. Applejack was starting to grow uncomfortable with how many things she was keeping to herself... it wasn't in her nature to shy away or hide serious things like this.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she was tackled into a hug from a previously airborne Rainbow Dash. As soon as she recognized the blue pegasus, her mind went blank. '_What was I so worried about again? Oh. Right. Railroad._'

Dash took a step back to allow Applejack a chance to stand up. "Well hi, Dashie," Applejack said sheepishly, shaking the dust from the walking path from her hat.

"Where've you been? Rarity told me to come find you, something about wanting to make you a hat or something..."

"Oh, uh..." Applejack trailed off, not exactly keen to reveal what exactly she had been up to with Rainbow Dash. "Just been... wandering around."

"Huh," Dash replied. She clearly wasn't convinced, but she wasn't pushing it. "Hey, have you seen how busy town has been today?"

"No, I haven't actually..." Applejack began to look around, now noticing how many ponies were actually around the two of them. Many of which wore hard hats, supervising construction of various new buildings around town.

"Apparently they've been having record sales at Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie's been baking up a storm. All because of that new train," Rainbow Dash grinned widely at her own mention of the train.

"Well ain't that something," Applejack replied flatly.

"You don't sound that excited," Rainbow Dash noted, turning her attention back to Applejack.

"Maybe I'm not."

"You were just as excited as I was about the train at the expo, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. An' now I ain't. What of it?" Applejack began to walk off toward Sweet Apple Acres. She decided that talking to Twilight could wait. As Rainbow Dash continued to follow her, she kept her gaze forward.

"I just... I don't know. You don't usually change your mind that quickly," Dash answered, attempting to keep conversation going with Applejack. She began to notice that Applejack was refusing to make eye contact with her, something that the pony of honesty rarely did. "Applejack, look at me." Applejack refused to pay her any attention. '_Was it something I said?_' Rainbow Dash thought, wondering whether she might have accidentally offended Applejack, as she occasionally did without thinking.

"Look, I'm sorry if I did something wrong," Dash apologized, causing Applejack to slow down. "I don't think when I talk, you know that." Applejack sighed and shook her head.

"It's not you, sugarcube. No need to go apologizin'." The two of them had reached the edge of the city, not quite to Sweet Apple Acres but well outside of the center of town. Applejack walked over to a grassy area just off the path and sat down.

"Something's wrong, isn't it?" Dash asked, sitting down next to Applejack. She took her hoof and used it to guide Applejack's head up, forcing her to make eye contact. She noticed, as soon as their eyes locked, just how pretty Applejack's eyes were. For a pony that went out of her way to buck fashion and conventions of attraction, she sure made up for it with her eyes.

Those eyes began to well up with tears as she began to speak. Rainbow Dash felt her heart sink as Applejack explained about Dagny, about the city, and about the plans for the railroad. She felt a sudden pang of guilt for even having brought the subject up in front of Applejack, even though she knew there was no way that she could have known. "Everyone's getting excited about the train," Applejack sobbed, "I just... I don't think anyone will care about what we Apples think by the time it's all said an' done."

Rainbow Dash pulled her friend into a hug, feeling her slowly lean her head against her own shoulder. "That's crazy talk and you know it. I'll get Twilight and the rest together and we'll fix this. That's... kinda like our job." She couldn't help but smile at the feeling of Applejack leaning against her. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she noticed Derpy hovering around. As weird as she found it to suddenly be overcome with anxiety, she still had a strong need to break away from Applejack as soon as possible.

Applejack laughed softly and nodded. "I reckon you're right about that, Dashie. Thanks."

Dash gave her one last tight squeeze before jumping back to her feet and into the air. "You can thank me by not calling me Dashie, alright?" she added, her voice wavering slightly. "Got enough ponies on my case about liking mares without you feeding the flames, ya know?" Applejack watched as Dash took off back toward town, and shook her head. '_Liking mares? That's just crazy. Even for Rainbow Dash_,' she thought. She suddenly felt herself saying "I don't like mares," to no one in particular... but as soon as it left her mouth, she found herself wondering why she had felt so compelled to say such a thing.


	5. Chapter 4 - Friendship Council

A/N: I did a bit of revising of Chapter 3, particularly the ending. Also, I'm not sure how well I did balancing out writing for all of the Mane Six in this new chapter, so be sure to grill me if you have issues. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Chapter 4 - **Friendship Council**

* * *

Long after Ponyville had retired to bed, six ponies found themselves sitting inside the Ponyville library in the dead of night. Twilight Sparkle paged through a book on Equestrian property law, her eyes weary from having scoured half the book for a way to save Applejack's homestead. Rarity and Fluttershy hemmed over a banner to be hung over the library, reading "Reroute the Railroad! Save Sweet Apple Acres!" Pinkie Pie amused herself with an electric train set that she had been given by Rich company workers as a thanks for her cupcakes, while Rainbow Dash sat consoling Applejack in a corner of the room.

The six had been gathered by Rainbow Dash, who had spent the afternoon soaring across the skies of Ponyville seeking them out. As soon as they had been told the story of the Apple family's run in with Dagny and the railroad, they immediately volunteered to help in any way possible. Looking over at the heartbroken cow-pony beside her, she knew it was the absolute least she could do for her friend.

The evening had passed quickly, the ponies pouring through Twilight's books in an attempt to find some form of loophole to ensure the farmhouse would remain. The work was quite dull, with the only interruption being when Derpy Hooves had crashed through the door and, apparently, developed situational amnesia from the impact. Rainbow Dash, who rarely had patience for the silly pegasus, had shooed her out with a kick in the flank.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash..." Fluttershy sighed, "You didn't have to be so rude to her. She didn't know any better."

"Oh ya think?" Dash snorted, her wings keeping her at a low hover above the ground. "She's not as dumb as everypony thinks she is. Clumsy, sure. Dumb? No."

"Can we focus here?" Twilight narrowed her eyes at Dash, who dropped to the floor and turned back to Applejack.

"Why did you make sucha big deal 'bout Derpy? She ain't no harm to nopony." Dash shook her head and looked toward the ceiling.

"Aw, Applejack, it's..." Dash fumbled with her words, taking a quick look around the room before continuing quietly, "...you know she hangs out with Lyra and Bon Bon all the time."

"Yeah? So? I happen to like Lyra and Bon Bon," Applejack replied defensively.

"No, no... it's not about them. It's that... Derpy sees them together and thinks that I'm... like them. You know what I mean."

Applejack couldn't help but take note of the worried look on Dash's face. Suddenly, Dash's voice echoed through her head, repeating '_Got enough ponies on my case about liking mares without you feeding the flames, ya know?'_ How many ponies _were_ on her case, Applejack wondered. She had never met Rainbow Dash's parents, so she had no idea what their views on mare-to-mare relationships were. Honestly, she hardly knew how _any_pony felt about that issue, considering she never gave it a bit of thought herself.

A cuckoo clock announced loudly that midnight had arrived. Spike the dragon, when not busy staring longingly at Rarity, was taking notes from the random things Twilight Sparkle was saying. His eyes were beginning to grow heavy as the hour grew later.

"Spike, page 304. 'Right of way must be given to royal interests without protest. Right of way can be obtained by private interests, but must be given with proper permission of the land owner.' Got that?" Twilight narrated from the ancient tome. After receiving a thumbs-up from her companion, she continued reading on.

"Wait a minute," Rainbow Dash looked up, addressing Twilight. "So what you're saying is that we really don't have to do anything?"

Twilight blinked, and then looked back to the passage she had just read aloud. "I can't believe I almost missed that! Dash, you're a genius!" Using her magic, she quickly produced official Rich Railroad documents in front of her. "The new railroad is going to be competing with the Royal Equestrian Railroad, the Apple family has no obligation to turn over their land what-so-ever!"

Applejack's eyes widened. "Ya mean we don't have to give anything to that Dagny lady?"

Rainbow Dash ruffled Applejack's mane playfully. "See, I told you we had nothing to worry about!" Applejack's face burst into a grin as she pulled Rainbow Dash into a tight hug.

"Thanks, friend," she said softly to Dash, nestling herself close against the pegasus' athletic body. She would have held the hug for much longer, but as soon as she felt Dash begin to pull away, she instinctively jerked back herself.

"You know what this calls for? A PARTY!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie as she launched her electric train straight off of the tracks. Twilight Sparkle shook her head.

"Maybe later, Pinkie. It's awfully late."

"Oh, what are we supposed to do with this banner now?" Rarity whined, looking sadly down at her handiwork.

"I can keep that here," Twilight offered. "We can reuse it to insulate animal homes when winter starts coming around."

"Well, I suppose that would be better than nothing," Rarity sighed.

Twilight yawned, sleepily using her magic to return the Equestrian property law book into its proper place in the shelf. "Well, glad we got all that worked out. If anyone wants to sleep here as opposed to walking home in the dark, be my guest. Just please keep it down, tomorrow is reshelving day for the library, and I'll need my rest." She sleepily climbed the stairs up to her room and out of sight.

Rarity shook her head. "I think I can make it back to the shop just fine. Goodnight, girls!" As soon as the door had shut behind her, the rest of the ponies could clearly hear Spike mutter "...and Spike..." as he wandered upstairs to Twilight's room, pouting.

Once Pinkie had gathered up the track from her electric train, she left with Fluttershy. Applejack and Rainbow Dash found themselves the only ponies left in the library.

"You headin' back to Cloudsdale, then?" Applejack asked Dash, yawning and stretching out her hind legs against the floor.

Dash hesitated for a moment before replying "Yeah, I guess so." Her expression didn't exactly exhume confidence in her night flying abilities. As brave and tough as she acted, Rainbow Dash didn't like to take excessively stupid risks. She was, after all, a world class athlete, and didn't want to risk injuring herself. "On second thought," she reconsidered, "I might as well stay here. For your sake, I mean."

Applejack knew she was only trying to save face, but she chuckled warmly at the thought all the same. "Fine by me."

Dash trotted over to the discarded banner and laid down in the center of it. "Well, we might as well get some use out of this, right?"

"That we might, sugarcube." As Applejack laid down next to Rainbow Dash, she shied back from the cow-pony, turning her body away. She wasn't sure why, but as soon as Dash moved away, Applejack felt her stomach turn. If that wasn't enough, the following moment of silence was broken by Dash saying "Applejack, we're friends... right?"

"Now... now why would ya ask such a thing, Dash?" Applejack replied nervously. Dash, facing away from her, fidgeted slightly in response.

"I don't know. I just... never mind."

"Never mind?"

"I said, never mind," Dash repeated firmly.

"If ya have something to say to me, why ain't ya just sayin' it?" Dash turned around to face Applejack. She noticed her face was twisted into an angry glare, but her eyes still held the same fear in them as when she was talking about Derpy. Staring down the cow-pony in front of her, she opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. "Well?" Applejack prompted, waiting for an answer.

As she stared at Rainbow Dash, the scowl on her face slowly receded into merely a frown. She reached out with a blue hoof, placing it against Applejack's. "I'm sorry, Applejack."

The apology caught Applejack off guard. "Now what in the hay are ya apologizing for, Dash?" she asked, softening her voice in response to Dash's changing mood. At first, she closed her eyes and turned her head away, answering with silence. But when Applejack moved her hoof under Dash's chin, lifting her head back towards her, she sighed.

"You actually have real problems right now. I shouldn't be making some big deal out of some stupid pegasus thinking I like mares," Dash whispered, almost inaudibly. Applejack placed her hoof around Dash's shoulder, pulling her closer.

"Dash, I ain't sure I understand what I'm hearing," Applejack said, smiling warmly. "I mean, you're never one to give a hoot about what any pony thinks of ya. Why is this any different?"

The following silence seemed to stretch for eternity. Applejack tried to look Rainbow Dash in the eyes, but she would avert her gaze at every turn. She waited for about as long as she could bear, and then patted Dash on the back gently.

"Well, don't worry about it, Dash. You'll prolly forget about it in the mornin'." Applejack rolled onto her back, folding part of the banner over herself and tucking herself in tight. "G'night, Dashie... I mean, Dash," she corrected herself before closing her eyes.

There was a brief moment where Applejack was alone with her thoughts, but it didn't even last long enough for her to begin to focus on them. She felt herself being rolled over by Rainbow Dash, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself looking straight up into the famed pegasus' face. There was a moment's hesitation... and then their lips met.

In a single instant, all her worries about Sweet Apple Acres were obliterated. She felt herself falling into a state of euphoria as Dash wrapped her front legs around her, pulling her tighter into their kiss. '_Wow, I... wow... Oh. Okay. Wow. I guess I do like mares then. Wow. Oh wow._'

Dash pulled back from the kiss suddenly, and buried her face into the banner. Still love drunk from the kiss, Applejack giggled, ruffling Dash's mane with her hoof.

"C'mon, what are ya so worried about?" she joked after failing to get Dash to uncover her face from the banner.

"Uh, I don't know, what about all our friends finding out about this? What about your family? Oh Celestia, what about _my _family? I just... You asked me why this is different? Why I don't like Derpy saying I like mares?" Dash pulled her head up slowly, tears forming in her huge red eyes as she peered up at Applejack. "It's different because it's true. And I'm afraid."

Applejack lowered her face, bringing it level with Dash's. With a smile, she affectionately kissed her on her forehead. "Then let's be afraid together."

* * *

Temporary A/N: Figured I'd leave you hanging on a fluffier note, considering it'll be roughly a week from now before I can update again. But rest assured, the hay's about to hit the fan.


End file.
